and
introduced several new singers, including Marie Brema, Suzanne Adams, an
American, and Marie Engle, also in 1900 another American, Louise Homer,
while of the men Albert Alvarez, a French tenor, and Antonio Scotti, an
Italian baritone, were the most brilliant stars.

Italian opera was now being pushed hard by German opera, while French
opera was very little heard. The table of performances published in New
York at the end of the season 1900-1901 shows that Wagner had
thirty-four performances out of a total of eighty-six. Gounod was next
with twelve performances, Verdi with eight, Puccini with eight,
Meyerbeer with five, Mascagni with four, Reyer and Massenet three each,
Boito, Mozart and Donizetti two each, and Beethoven, Leoncavallo and
Bizet one each.

American composers were seeking new themes indigenous to the soil. Many
had already written something under the title of "Rip van Winkle," and
Walter Damrosch had brought out an opera based on Hawthorne's novel "The
Scarlet Letter." Anton Dvo[vr]ak composed his "New World Symphony"
making use of negro melodies for his themes. The resources of the
Indians, the prairies and the mountains have been tapped more or less
successfully. The oil fields still offer a thrilling subject for the
composer.

1890. Jan. 4. Peter Cornelius's opera "Der Barbier von Bagdad"
presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, under
Walter Damrosch, also J. Bayer's ballet "Die Puppensee," with
Frank Damrosch conducting.

1890. Jan. 4. Saint-Saens's Third Violin Concerto (B minor) given
by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with T. Adamowski as soloist;
also Borodin's First Symphony (E flat).

1890. Jan. 11. Production of MacDowell's symphonic tone poem
"Lancelot and Elaine," given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

1890. Jan. 23. Edouard Lalo's opera "Le Roy d'Ys," presented at
New Orleans, La., with Furst, Balleroy, Geoffroy, Rossi, Butat,
Miss Leavinson and Mrs. Beretta in the caste.

1890. Jan. 31. Brahms's "Liebeslieder Waltzes" given by the
Symphony Society, in New York City.

1890. Feb. 1. Chaikovsky's Fourth Symphony (F minor) given at a
concert of the Symphony Society in New York City. W. Damrosch
conducting.

1890. Mar. 24. Debut of Tamagno, great Italian tenor, as _Otello_
at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.

1890. Mar. 25. Dvo[vr]ak's Pianoforte Concerto in G minor, given
at a conce